The Abridged version:
- New data shows the student population in Placer County is expected to swell in the next decade, among the highest increases in the state. That’s opposite what most districts in the region and across California are bracing for.
- Certain school districts, namely in Roseville and Lincoln, are responsible for the bulk of that anticipated growth.
- The districts that are on track for the biggest increases say rising enrollment is preferable to decline. But it still comes with challenges and a need for creative planning.
New data confirms what many in Placer County know and have witnessed — the area is booming, and school populations are no exception.
The latest annual projections from the California Department of Finance showed the county northeast of Sacramento gaining nearly 6,700 new students over the next decade. Much of that influx is concentrated in the area’s southern suburban slices.
Placer had among the highest predicted enrollment growth of any county in California. And it was one of only a handful of counties expected to grow at all.
Student bodies in Sacramento, El Dorado and Yolo Counties are all expected to shrink in the same amount of time, mirroring a dreaded trend across the state and country.
“We feel pretty fortunate,” said Joe Landon, assistant superintendent of business services at Roseville’s high school district.
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Roseville districts making space
Of the 6,691 new students predicted for Placer County, more than a third of those kids would be found in a Roseville school.
Roseville City School District, covering grades TK-8 with an enrollment of about 12,700, could have as many as 1,700 more pupils by 2036, according to state projections. Roseville Joint Union High School District, with a student population about 13,100, would add almost 700 to its rolls in the same time period.
District officials keep an eye on enrollment fluctuations with regular demographic studies, Landon said. While their numbers are not exactly the same as the state’s — which are sourced from the departments of education and public health — the high school district has been aware of and planning for the expected growth for a while.
“We’ve positioned ourselves the best we can,” Landon said. “So far, we’re pleased with how it’s going.”
West Park High School, the district’s sixth and latest campus, opened in 2020, and Landon said they are in the final phase of adding onto the facilities.
The elementary school district just opened a new campus, Winding Creek Elementary School, in August. Plans are also underway for Roseville’s first TK-8 campus, with an estimated opening date of 2031.
Because high schools require a larger footprint, Landon said his district is likely done building new sites.
Both Roseville school boards approved boundary adjustments in the spring, which can ease some of the crowding by redirecting certain neighborhoods to schools with more capacity.
Growth is good — if districts can afford it
Leaders in the Roseville districts have said growth is concentrated in the west, where the city is building more housing.
Nearby in Lincoln, the growth of new neighborhoods as well as additional development in existing communities is fueling a surge in students at the Western Placer Unified School District.
The district currently serves roughly 11,400 students. The state estimated an increase of 2,297 by 2036 — more than a third of the county’s overall projection.
Superintendent Kerry Callahan said some of their evaluations put that number closer to 4,000 new students in 10 years.
“New growth is always a good thing,” she said. “If you can afford to house them.”
In the last few years, the district added another elementary and high school. A new TK-8 school, called Liberty Point, is slated to open fall 2030.
Funding for that campus came from a unique partnership with the city and developer. Usually, Callahan said, paying to construct a new school is a complicated process that often involves turning to voters for a bond measure.
Creative solutions
If there isn’t money, or space, for a new campus, Callahan said district leaders can find other creative ways to make room for more students.
For example, officials at Elk Grove Unified developed a multi-track system to ease some of its growing pains.
Under this model, students are on one of four different school year calendars. With one track on break at any given point, the same facilities can serve a higher capacity.
Like Roseville, Western Placer Unified recently completed an attendance boundary redesign. Callahan said they try to make the changes as nondisruptive as possible but that the shifts inevitably come with impact for some families.
“There’s ways in which districts can accommodate (growth) without funding,” Callahan said. “None of it is ideal.”
